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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. mate — a partner
  3. firm — steady
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. date — the fruit
  7. face — to point toward
  8. last — final
  9. mate — to breed
  10. pass — a permit
  11. mate — a friend
  12. swing — music
  13. swing — in golf
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. face — to confront
  16. swing — to play on
  17. firm — decided
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. last — to go on
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. last — finally
  23. firm — a company
  24. pass — to spend time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com